Hold on to what is good,
Even if it’s a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it’s a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it’s a long way from here.

~Pueblo Prayer

Community connection. Recognize all of the levels of community, but start at home. Your own family is your closest circle of community. Start talking to those closest to you, of all ages, with a practice of sharing ideas and beliefs in an open-minded, opinion-based manner. Look for similarities, and practice agreeing to disagree. Then take this practice out into other levels—into neighborhoods, towns, cities, counties, and states. Expand this idea of community both nationally and globally.

Communication. Practice respectful, “I statement” language and learn how to agree to disagree. No one likes to be judged for what they believe or to feel attacked. Owning your opinion while communicating allows for dialogue and debate instead of argument and conflict.

Honesty and Accountability. Be honest with yourself and others about what you feel you could have done better up until this point. Then, in the areas you have fallen short, take action. Even making a point to pick an issue and thoughtfully, respectfully communicate your opinions to your elected officials via phone, letter, or email just once a week is a proactive, positive action.

Passion. Take inventory of what inspires you and act upon it. Make a list of everything you can think of that inspires positive feelings within you or that you feel passionate about. Pick a few of those things and research needs or initiatives in that area.

Commitment. We will never be united and find any sense of peace if we do not make a commitment to stay engaged and active in the democratic process.

Let’s all take a moment today and offer one small step toward a better tomorrow. Let’s offer one small step to ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.

Adapted from author: Cyndy Dalton

New Books by Charter of Compassion Global Compassion Council Members

Into the Magic Shop by James Doty. Now in paperback. The award-winning New York Times bestseller about the extraordinary things that can happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart. Growing up in the high desert of California, Jim Doty was poor, with an alcoholic father and a mother chronically depressed and paralyzed by a stroke. Today he is the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, of which the Dalai Lama is a founding benefactor. But back then his life was at a dead end until at twelve he wandered into a magic shop looking for a plastic thumb. Instead he met Ruth, a woman who taught him a series of exercises to ease his own suffering and manifest his greatest desires. Her final mandate was that he keep his heart open and teach these techniques to others. She gave him his first glimpse of the unique relationship between the brain and the heart.

From Hero to Healer by Robin Youngson. In Robin’s own words: I’m a practising doctor in New Zealand and an internationally renowned leader in compassionate healthcare. I really care about building a better world. Here’s the question that really bugs me: ‘Despite our persistent efforts, and high-profile campaigns involving millions of people, why are we not making more progress on social and environmental issues? We are witnessing more poverty, more inequality, more chronic disease, more social breakdown, worsening pollution, and ever-increasing carbon emissions?’ Could it be that the strategies we employ as activists are actually sustaining the problems we’re trying to address?As honestly as I can, I share with you the five BIGGEST mistakes I made in a decade of campaigning, and how my counter-intuitive new strategies led to international success.